Based in the German town of Hövelhof, near Paderborn in eastern Westphalia, LEDaquaristik offers innovative and versatile products involved with LED lighting of aquariums.

By an aquarist for aquarists is the company's motto!

Managing Director Dennis Rüsing has devoted himself to aquaristics since 1989. He began in the traditional manner with a 54-litre community aquarium, populating his tank over time with fish from every continent, from angelfish to Asian dwarf shrimps. In 2010, his living room became home to a 2000-litre aquarium, which ran almost fully automatically and eventually gave him the impetus to search for some suitable and affordable lighting.

"I tried out a great many different products and ways of going about it. However, I learned the hard way that my high expectations, in particular with respect to brightness and colour of the light and the durability of the systems, would be disappointed sooner rather than later. At that time, the LED market was proving to be rather disappointing."

This led to the moment of birth of LEDaquaristik. He rapidly developed solutions of his own, which resulted in the manufacture of highly efficient LED technology and top-class products meeting all the requirements of aquaristics.

"Thanks to our accumulated experience in the field of aquaristics and LED technology, we were able to demonstrate superior competence in this product field, which greatly advanced our position in the market, differentiating us from companies that operated solely as dealers. In the end, it is our customers in particular who benefit from this advantage."

Today the small but high-quality selection of products contains everything necessary for state-of-the-art LED lighting and is being continuously expanded. The customer can choose LED lamps in any of 10 different colours, 11 lengths and 2 output settings, complemented if desired by a water-cooling and heat-recovery system.

In this context, the aquaLUMix constitutes the state of the art – a top-class compact luminaire with an ideal light composition preconfigured on the the basis of long-standing experience in the field. Thus, it is not necessary to select the most suitable light colours. The system offers 4 varieties suitable for any habitat: FRESHWATER (community aquariums), AMAZON-GROW (plant aquariums), AFRICAN-SUN (cichlids) and SEAWATER (seawater aquariums). Each of these aquaLUMix models is equipped with 4 separately controllable light channels which allow for absolutely unique lighting atmospheres.

LED lighting can be controlled conventionally with a time clock, be dimmed manually or by means of automatic light control or daylight simulation; features which are growing ever more popular among aquarists. Thus you have the possibility of switching on the light gently at sunrise, intensifying it until midday, turning it red in the evening and to moonshine during the night – the scope of this function is simply boundless.

Existing aquarium covers with conventional T5 or T8 fluorescent tubes can be brought up to date with LED technology. We have a broad range of supports and holders to make the changeover very simple. In addition, we have special complete kits designed to suit tank and cabinet combinations from well-known manufacturers to ease your move to LED. Alternatively, or for open aquariums, we have suspended or self-supporting lamp housings, which can be fitted with LEDs to suit your specific requirements. These are just a suitable for 30cm nano aquariums as they are for much larger 300cm versions.

Our range of products is rounded off with all the necessary and optional accessories required for good lighting: LED mains adapters, distributors, adapters, brackets, LED spotlights, dimmers etc.

LEDaquaristik follows the strategy of direct sales and keeps the whole supply chain from manufacture to sales completely in-house. Thus, with the exception of a few selected partners, our range of products is available only through our own online shop at www.LEDaquaristik.de. This simple and transparent structure has many benefits, such as extremely low overheads, which we are pleased to pass onto our customers.

General advantages of our LED lighting:

Long service life

In contrast to a fluorescent tube, which loses so much of its output after only one year that it needs replacing, LED bars have a service life of approx. 40,000 hours. That is the equivalent of approximately 11 years assuming it provides light for 10 hours per day and is looked after and cleaned properly.

Electricity consumption

For the same light output, a 1047mm T5 fluorescent tube has a power consumption of 54W, whereas one of our 100cm eco+ LED bars requires only approximately 29W. Example calculation:

eco+ LED (29W)

0,029 kW x 10 hours x 365 days x 0,25 €

26,46 €

T5 tube(54W)

0,054 kW x 10 hours x 365 days x 0,25 €

49,28 €

*Annual cost for 10 h/day operation and € 0.25 per kWh

Energy efficiency

For a comparison of T8 and T5 tubes made by established manufacturers with LED bars from LEDaquaristik, see here

Temperature

Our LED bars generate much less heat compared to conventional fluorescent tubes.

Controllable / dimmable

eco+, PRO² and aquaLUMix LEDs are dimmable and controllable.1. Using a manually operated stepless LED dimmer, you can turn down the brightness (and therefore the electricity consumption as well) of the LED bar(s) by turning a rotary knob. With only a slight throttling of the output (dimming), the electricity consumption drops almost in direct proportion without the light appearing noticeably less bright. The secondary effect is an extension of the service life of the LED bar.2. Our automatic light controls have between 2 and 8 singly and individually programmable channels, depending on the model. This allows each connected LED bar to be controlled separately in terms of time and brightness. Therefore in addition to simply modelling the sun rising and setting, you can add details such as stormy weather, clouds, moonshine and many other programs and simulations.

Light colours

Our extensive assortment offers many different light colours and ways of combining them, which allows you to find the optimum solution to suit the amount of planting, features, equipment and, last but not least, your personal taste.

Too many options? Then our aquaLUMix compact luminaire might be the right solution for you.

Brilliance

The superior colour rendering of up to 90 Ra (CRI) ensures your underwater world is vivid and full of colour. Your aquarium will shine out more clearly and brilliantly than one with fluorescent tubes.

Individual combinations

You can not only combine different light colours together, you can also use different lengths (20-140cm) and models (eco+/PRO²) with one another. In this way, you can create different zones of light and shadow, separate moonlit or particularly brightly lit areas for more ambitious planting. The aquarium becomes much livelier.

Too many options? Then our aquaLUMix compact luminaire might be the right solution for you.

Fixing in place & installation

A compact, slender and yet strong construction distinguishes our LED bars from the rest. Whether you have a standard aquarium or a specially made model. We can offer you a wide range of installation and fixing options from which you will always be able to find an optimum solution.

Water cooling and heat recovery

The use of integrated heat recovery is an advantage, but not mandatory.The temperature-optimized aluminum profile of the aquaLUMix and PRO² also enables passive cooling.With active water cooling, however, the LEDs are optimally cooled, the waste heat from the LEDs is effectively used and the aquarium is also heated.Why water cooling is worthwhile and sensible.

Our LED bar models: eco+ and PRO²

eco+ , PRO² or aquaLUMix? The difference:

The advantage of the aquaLUMix is quickly explained. All light colors required for an appealing day simulation are contained in a compact and very powerful lamp.
In addition, an attachment and the possibility of heat recovery are integrated.

It is a question of philosophy, the decisive factor is your idea of perfect lighting. Would you like the finished solution (aquaLUMix), or a modular system (eco+/PRO²), which additionally influences the arrangement, quantity and length of the individual light colors?

eco+An outstanding price-performance ratio
with a wide diversity of variants.

PRO²Meets the highest demands
at maximum powerand innovative cooling

aquaLUMixA new record
in performance, functionalityand quality

LED configuration

72 LEDs/m

144 LEDs/m

340 LEDs/m

Output

29W/m

43W/m

110W/m

Lumens

Up to approx. 2900 lm/m

Up to approx. 4600 lm/m

Up to approx. 13525 lm/m

Efficiency

Up to 105 lm/W

Up to 108 lm/W

Up to 124 lm/W

Available light colours

11

6 (+3 MIX)

4 Szenarien

Available lengths

7 (20-140cm)

5 (47-135cm)

5 (54-144cm)

Cooling

Passive by
aluminium cooling body
on the LED bar

Passive or
Heat recovery
(LED water cooling = aquarium heating)

Passive or
Heat recovery
(LED water cooling = aquarium heating)

Design

Slender, lightweight
with the minimum
dimensions

Compact LED bar
manufactured out of a solid
piece of aluminium

Solid, preconfiguredCompact lamp incl.mounting solution

Cross section

18x12mm

32x18mm

94x28mm

Max. configuration oflamp housing

4x eco+ LED bars in parallel

2x PRO² LED bars and
1x eco+ LED bar in parallel

1x aquaLUMix

Can different modules be combined with one another?

Yes, of course, you can create your desired lighting effect with a mix of eco+ and PRO² LED bars. Our mains adapters and controls are compatible with both models (12V DC). In the choice of your LED bar holders, we would draw your attention to the instructions in the product descriptions. For example, the PRO² LED bars are compatible with only the "solo" version of our T5/T8 holders. The lamp housings can be configured either with a maximum of 4x eco+ or 2x PRO² and 1x eco+ LED bars.The aquaLUMix can also be electrically combined with the eco + or PRO² LED bars in one system, but the fastening is done separately.

What are the benefits, advantages and special features of LED water cooling?

Use of the integrated heat recovery is an advantage, but not absolutely necessary. The temperature-optimised aluminium profile of the aquaLUMix also enables a passive cooling system. However, with active water cooling, the LEDs are optimally cooled, the waste heat of the LEDs used effectively and, in addition, the aquarium is heated.

Water cooling: In spite of the much higher efficiency of LEDs compared with conventional lighting systems, LEDs also convert part of the energy they consume into heat. This heat must be conducted away by a cooling system, either passively through an aluminium profile and/or actively.

The lamps can operate with a water cooling or heat recovery system, which means the LEDs are always within their optimum temperature range. Because starting of the first day a LED, whether for household or aquarium application, loses slowly but continuously its luminosity. The value of LED chip service life (eg 50,000 hours), as it is found in the technical data, says that the LED delivers only 50% of the former luminosity after this period of operation.An optimal working temperature through cooling significantly counteracts this creeping process.

Heat recovery: Heat energy that is lost in conventional LED lighting and remains unused is effectively used with the water cooled lamps. The system supplies the resulting waste heat to the aquarium water and thus noticeably relieves the aquarium heating.

The water cooling with heat recovery becomes a great advantage of your aquarium. Simple - ingenious!

When using with sea water or deviant fresh water (eg very low PH), we recommend using the TITAN upgrade.

Benefits:

The LEDs work within their optimum temperature range, which maximises the output of the LEDs and extends their period of peak lighting performance. The heat recovery / water cooling system uses the waste heat from the LEDs and feeds the aquarium with warm water.

The electricity consumed by the aquarium heating is drastically reduced.

Lamps with heat recovery pay for themselves very much quicker than other LED lighting systems: Lower electricity consumption with light and heat!

The two integrated XL channels that provide water cooling to the LED bars ensure high flow rates, excellent cooling properties and very high efficiency.

You can feed the water cooling system through a bypass in your filter system's water circulation circuit or by means of a separate pump.

The system is nearly maintenance free and extremely durable thanks to high quality components manufactured from stainless steel and silicone.

As you would expect, you can connect several PRO² LED bars together in parallel or in series.

Low-noise operation

Special features:

The water-carrying ducts are integrated directly into the solid aluminium profile and allow unobstructed heat exchange between the LED and the cooling water. The products of other companies who work only with surface-mounted, add-on water cooling systems achieve far lower efficiencies because of their poor contact with the LED (insulating layer of air).

The XL ducts carry 56% more water and therefore provide a much better cooling performance compared to other brands.

In addition, the large diameter of the water cooling system's ducts extends its service interval considerably. However, should cleaning be necessary, it is much easier because of better access. In addition, we offer a special set of brushes for this task.

The silicone hose and in particular the 180° bend, which are necessary to connect the water cooling system, are made of extremely high-grade material with a good reputation for durability and dimensional stability. Indeed, this is the only way long-term, efficient cooling can be ensured.

General information about the functions and advantages of the PRO² and aquaLUMix LED bars is given in the product description.

How effectively can theheat recovery systems heat my aquarium?

Calculation of the water temperature when using heat recovery

Volume of water:

Length of edge:
cm

Width/depth:
cm

Water level:
cm

Room temperature:

°C (= temperature of unheated water)

Number ofaquaLUMix:

144 cm:

115 cm:

89 cm:

74 cm:

54cm:

Number ofPRO² LEDs:

135cm:

106cm:

96cm:

75cm:

47cm:

Insulated surfaces:

Left

Right

Back

Floor

Top (Deckel)

Estimated water temperature:

°C

The result provides an indication of how much the heat recovery system contribute to heating your aquarium water (= relieving the load on the aquarium heating = saving energy). Please note that the calculation does not take into account any other sources of heat, such as pumps or heating elements.

What happens in summer when the aquarium is too warm anyway?

The use of water cooling is an advantage, but not mandatory. The temperature-optimised aluminium profile of the PRO² LED bara and aquaLUMix also provides passive cooling. But with active water cooling, the LEDs are optimally cooled, the waste heat from the LEDs is put to effective use and the aquarium is heated. So if the seasonal temperature fluctuations are large enough, these LED bars can be operated without a water cooling system in midsummer.

Technology

Which LEDs does LEDaquaristik.de use?

We have complete confidence in LED bars made by brand-name manufacturers such as LG. We use an extremely efficient 5630 SMD LED with an excellent colour rendering index of up to 90 Ra (CRI)! These LEDs are perfect for use in aquariums, which demand very good colour rendering.

Why 5630/573 SMD LEDs?

High brightness combined with low electricity consumption

Very good colour rendering

Long service life

Very good price/performance ratio

Here is an overview of the SMD LEDs available on the market and their characteristics:

Ordinary standard chips

LG - high-power chips LEDaquaristik.de

Chip type

SMD 3528

SMD 5050

SMD 5630

Dimensions

3.5x2.8mm

5.0x5.0mm

5.6x3.0mm

Output

0.08W

0.24W

0.3W

Lumens

3-8 lm*

12-20 lm*

>35 lm*

Theoretically an SMD 5050 is 3-times brighter than an SMD 3528.An SMD 5630 LED is 1.5-times brighter than an SMD 5050.

*Depending on light colour

SMD stands for Surface-Mounted Device: In contrast to other LEDs, SMD LEDs are not connected by wires but are soldered directly onto the printed circuit board.

Advantages:

Very low heat emissions

Low voltage and current requirements

Compact size

More tolerant of mechanical vibration loads

Low terminal resistance and impedance

Low weight due to the absence of connecting wires

What is the "ClearSealing" technology offered by LEDaquaristik.de?

As you probably already know, LEDs are sensitive to heat. A high luminous intensity inevitably also leads to a high LED operating temperature, which in turn has a direct effect on the service life of the LED. For this reason, a crucial and indispensable consideration in the design of LED products is how they cope with heat.

Ideally, the LEDs should be mounted "bare" on a good cooling body. The area of use – in aquariums – also makes it essential for the LEDs to have a watertight seal. There are three materials available for achieving all this: Epoxide (synthetic resin), polyurethane (PU) adhesive and silicon.

Most waterproof LED bars available on the market are sealed with epoxide, which means they are very inexpensive. However, from a technical point of view they are not the best choice because they quickly discolour and become brittle.

ClearSealing is a special production process in which a special high-performance silicone gives the LED bars a watertight seal.UV and temperature stable! Although this process results in longer production times and higher manufacturing costs, the characteristics it produces cannot fail to impress:

Temperature:

Our silicone has a much higher thermal conductivity than epoxide or PU and therefore has almost no effects on the service life. Our LED bars have the big advantage that the LEDs are permanently and directly attached to the cooling body. Thus the heat they create is directly and efficiently conducted away.

The chemical properties of epoxide and PU make the materials highly sensitive to external influences such as heat and moisture. Therefore they can quickly become very hard, stiff and brittle, which adversely affects their role as sealants. Our silicone is much more stable and retains its properties.

The production process is specially designed for the materials used and their properties. Thus we are able to achieve a beam angle of almost 180° with ClearSealing technology. And we do that completely without reflectors or lenses!

UV stability:

Our silicone is much more UV stable. Epoxide and PU go yellow by comparison after just a few months even with a low proportion of UV light.

Yes of course! All our LED bars and aquaLUMix are dimmable, manually or using a control system. We offer a range of different devices for automatic light control and daylight simulation. You can find an overview here
Colour combinations comprising e.g.. SUNSET, DAY, POLAR (or TROPIC, DAY, SKY, if preferred) our very suitable for daylight simulation. The possible combinations are almost limitless. You have a completely free choice. Depending on your requirements, you can also combine other light colours (RED = dawn reds, ROYAL BLUE = moonlight). Adding light colours at a later stage can be done without problem. (Assuming the mains adapter has the required capacity)The AquaLUMix are already equipped ex works with a light assembly suitable for daytime simulation.

As with all our dimmers, whether automatic or manual, the electricity consumption is directly proportional to the dimmer setting, i.e. 50% brightness equates to approximately 50% electricity consumption.

You can also use existing systems such as GHL, Profilux or SPS etc., although you may need additional accessories. If you have any questions about setting up daylight simulation with a GHL computer and our LED bars, please get in touch and we will be delighted to help you!

Theory and reality. Sometimes the product information published by competitors shows a much higher performance (120 lm/W). Why is this?

Values considerably above 100 lm/W relate directly to the LED manufacturer's information for an individual LED (theoretical value under optimum laboratory conditions).

According to the manufacturer's data sheet, the LEDs used by LEDaquaristik.de achieve up to 130–150 lm/W, depending on the light colour.

These sorts of values, however, would never be achieved by the actual end product under any circumstances. The "real" values we give in the technical data are the values measured under real conditions in tests on the LED bars we actually sell, which is the story behind the "dodgy figures". Generally applicable and constant lumen values that do not take into account the light bar length and light colour should be taken as marketing tricks or misleading.

Because we use only LED chips from leading manufacturers, you can be sure of receiving products with a higher performance, efficiency and quality.

Is a 13000K LED brighter than a 6500K LED?Does a higher "K" value = higher brightness?

No, that is not necessarily the case. "K" stands for Kelvin and merely tells us something about the light colour. Brightness is given in lumen (lm). Experience shows that light colours in the 6000 to 7000 Kelvin range appear to the eye to be the brightest. The further a light colour deviates from this range the less bright it will appear to the human eye. For an overview see here:

Comparison of the properties of T8 and T5 tubes made by established manufacturers with LED bars from LEDaquaristik

Manufacturer

Description

Light colour
(Kelvin)

Light output
(Lumen)

Output
(Watt)

Efficiency
(Lumen/Watt)

Dennerle

T8 Amazon-Day
895 mm

6000

2300

30

76

Eheim

T8 freshpower daylight
895 mm

6500

2350

30

78

JBL

T8 Solar Tropic
895 mm

4000

1650

30

55

Sera

T8 tropic sun
895 mm

4700

1600

30

53

Hagen

T8 Sunglo
895 mm

4200

2100

30

70

Dennerle

T5 Amazon-Day
850 mm

6000

3250

39

89

Giesemann

T5 Tropic
850 mm

6500

2450

39

63

Eheim

T5 freshpower daylight
850 mm

6500

3300

39

85

JBL

T5 Ultra Tropic
850 mm

4000

2500

39

64

Sera

T5 daylight brillant
895 mm

6000

3900

45

87

Hagen / Fluval

T5 Life Spectrum
850 mm

6700

3000

39

77

LEDaquaristik

eco+ LED bar
SKY 790mm

6500

2427*

25

97*

LEDaquaristik

PRO² LED bar
SKY 755mm

6500

4125*

37

111*

Source: DATZ/Amazonas 66 and manufacturers' websites*The data for the LEDaquaristik products are based on real measured values!

Why are no "multicoloured" RGB LEDs offered?

We extensively tested RGBs. The light they create, especially the white, which would be mainly used, looks very unnatural or cold and artificial, usually with a blue tint. You have to appreciate that the white light emitted by RGBs is created by mixing the colours red, green and blue. Thus the colour rendering quality and in particular the light output lag way behind those of single-colour LEDs.

Can I use any 12V mains adapter or even a halogen 12V transformer?

No, because 12V is not really 12V. A stabilised DC mains adapter is necessary for LEDs. That means it must output a voltage of 12V DC. An ordinary 12V transformer for halogen bulbs is unsuitable here. The consequences of using one of these could be no light, flickering or even damage.

What mains adapter do I need for my lighting?

Please use our calculator to find out:

Power supply calculator

What / how many LED lighting bars are to be powered?

eco+

PRO²

aquaLUMix

Number

Length

Model

Number

Length

Model

Number

Length

Model

-+

140 cm

eco+

-+

135 cm

PRO²

-+

144 cm

aquaLUMix

-+

116 cm

eco+

-+

106 cm

PRO²

-+

115 cm

aquaLUMix

-+

100 cm

eco+

-+

96 cm

PRO²

-+

89 cm

aquaLUMix

-+

80 cm

eco+

-+

75 cm

PRO²

-+

74 cm

aquaLUMix

-+

50 cm

eco+

-+

47 cm

PRO²

-+

54 cm

aquaLUMix

-+

30 cm

eco+

-+

20 cm

eco+

This is how it works:
The power that the mains adapter has to supply is calculated by adding the individual power ratings (watts) of the intended LED bars and then adding a further min. 10% reserve. The correct mains adapter is then the next larger model.

Examples:

LED bars

Total output

+ min. 10% reserve

= Mains adapter

1x 50cm @ 18W

18W

2W

30W

3x 116cm @ 33W each

99W

10W

150W

For the avoidance of any misunderstandings: The mains adapters themselves do not consume 30 or 150W of power! But they are capable of delivering this power! Power consumption depends only on the connected LEDs and the efficiency of the mains adapter! When running under no load (i.e. when the mains adapter alone is plugged into an electrical socket, not connected to any LEDs or being used in any other way), it consumes only about 0.8W.

Which is the better choice for my aquarium? LED bars or FlexBeam LED spotlights?

Better/poorer does not really apply in this situation. Our LED bars and FlexBeam LED spotlights are based on two completely different concepts.

LED bars…

Provide an even level of lighting along their whole length.

Smaller cross section, slender construction.

Choice of support arrangements

Can be integrated into ordinary flat aquarium covers

Can be fully dimmed and controlled.

Further light colours and lighting bars are easy to add.

LED spotlights…

The lamps are suspended from above and are therefore suitable only for open or glass-covered aquariums.

Very easy to retrofit when replacing existing HQL installations

The light cone is limited by the beam angle and lens and is therefore more focused.

This results in a more pronounced shimmering effect at the bottom of the tank

Work directly on the 230V supply – therefore not dimmable or controllable

No additional LED mains adapter required

Can LED bars made by other manufacturers be used with the light control and dimmer systems supplied by LEDaquaristik?

Yes, this can be done without spending too much time or money.
Lighting units and mains adapters are connected to our controls without a plug. SunRiser control units have push-in screw terminals to which the lighting unit and network adapter cables can be directly attached. We offer suitable adapters so that you do not have to cut off your existing plugs.
Each channel of the SunRiser control system has a positive and negative terminal for connecting your lighting. If you wish to connect lighting with more than one light colour that currently has a common positive terminal, then your lighting units should be divided between the appropriate number of channels/colours/terminals. In addition, the maximum output (per channel and total) must be within the light control system's capacity, see product description or the Overview of light control systems.
In each case, the power is supplied by ONE mains adapter compatible with the lighting. Voltage 12 to 24V DC.Please note: You cannot operate a mixture of 12V, 20V and/or 24V products! It has to be one of these only!

We offer our eco+ LED bars in 11 different light colours and 7 different lengths: 20cm, 30cm, 50cm, 80cm, 100cm, 116cm, 140cm
Our PRO² LED bars are available in 6 different light colours and currently 5 different lengths: 47cm, 75cm, 96cm, 109cm, 135cm

RED - red light with a wavelength of 625nm. Recommended as an addition to the main lighting to promote plant growth, but also very suitable as sunrise and sunset light in daylight simulation systems.

SUNSET 3500K (2100 lm/m) - a warm light with a high proportion of red, advantageous for planted aquariums and used in combination with another light colour where appropriate. Also very suitable as sunrise and sunset light in daylight simulation systems.

MARINE 13000K (1600 lm/m) - an ice-cold light with a high blue proportion, mainly used in seawater applications, but is also very suitable for Tanganyika/Frontosas.

ROYAL BLUE - a blue light, with a wavelength of 460-465nm, can be used e.g. as moonlight or in seawater aquariums.

To see a comparison of the various light colours, you should visit our Light comparison page.

Is the selection of models of our module system with eco+ and PRO² LED strips simply too large?

Does the assembly and installation of individual light colours seem too complicated?

Would you like a compact, ready-to-use light?

The answer is: aquaLUMix - our new, top-quality compact light.

Which LED bars and light colours should I choose for a light control /daylight simulation system?

Modul system eco+/PRO²

A convincing daylight simulation can be achieved with 2 light colours, e.g. SUNSET and DAY. Whether to use RED instead of SUNSET for sunrise and sunset is largely a matter of personal taste. The same applies to the actual "daylight". Our customers use everything from TROPIC, through DAY to MARINE.
Because plants and fish exhibit an infinite variety of colour, it is impossible to say what would be a perfect configuration. If it were possible, we would not offer today's 10 different colours ;-) but with this range of colours everyone is able to compose optimum and individual lighting conditions for their aquariums, be they East African, Amazonian, Asian etc.
If you prefer bluish colours, you should consider SKY, POLAR, REEF etc. Whereas, if orange and red colours are preferred or you have luxuriant planting schemes, the light colours SUNSET, TROPIC, DAY would be a good combination. RED and ROYAL BLUE come into play for creating special accents and effects.

Because our customers occasionally become uncertain when faced with such a wide choice, we suggest the following:
with a colour combination of SUNSET, DAY, POLAR (or if preferred TROPIC, DAY, SKY), the colour spectrum is well and broadly covered, which means it is difficult to go wrong. See Light comparison. Our experiences with this composition and planted aquariums have been very good. These light colours are also very suitable for daylight simulation systems. This is our recommended standard configuration.
Whether you choose to have 3 different series of lamps and light colours or restrict yourself to 1-2 depends on your particular aquarium lighting requirements. Depending on your requirements, you can also combine other light colours (RED = dawn reds, ROYAL BLUE = moonlight). Of course, you can add to this very easily at any time in the future. (Assuming the mains adapter has the required capacity)

Compact system aquaLUMix

The question as to the best choice of colour no longer arises with aquaLUMix as, based on years of experience, we've already equipped these compact lights with optimum light combinations. We offer 4 ready-configured lights for freshwater and seawater aquariums in a choice of 5 lengths, from 54 to 144cm. In the case of aquariums of over 144cm in length, two lights are simply combined together.

Depending on the inhabitants and set-up of your aquarium, as well as personal taste, you can choose one of 4 colour combinations - a fitting solution for every area:

FRESHWATER - Clear, bright colours for outstanding colour rendering, without being detrimental to plant growth. (e.g. for the classic company aquarium)

AFRICAN SUN - A higher proportion of blue in the daytime light, augmented by a colour-intensifying light composition. (e.g. for cichlid aquarium with Malawis or Tanganyikas)

SEAWATER - Basically, a high proportion of blue with white and blue light, with additional special colours like red, violet and ultraviolet. (For seawater aquariums)

Every variation of the aquaLUMix is equipped with 4 separately controllable light channels, thus offering incomparable lighting options. Thus, besides light colours for general daytime lighting, LEDs for moonlight and sunrise are also integrated. In addition, a fastener, a splashguard and a water cooling system that can be used if necessary are already included. A suitable mains supply unit and, if desired, a light control or splitter should be ordered separately!

You'll find details on this light and colour configuration in the technical data further down this page.

How many LED bars do I need for my freshwater aquarium?

A single LED bar is generally sufficient for a tank length of 120 to 140cm. It is difficult to make an across-the-board recommendation. We would light a 120x50x50cm aquarium with just one LED bar (and have that operating at 50% dimmed), 300x90x70cm aquarium with just two bars. Both these examples are based on sparsely planted malawi aquariums.
See Example aquariums.
It largely depends on the degree of planting and the amount of other features and equipment. A heavily planted 120cm Amazonian aquarium would be better lit with two or three LED bars. A tank with a dark bottom requires more light because the light bottom would reflect more of it. Dense planting or luxuriant plants such as carpet plants etc. require more light. And, in the end, personal taste and expectations are very important.

Here is a summary based on our experience, which is given without warranty and intended to help you decide on the number of LED bars:

Degree ofplanting

Plant lightrequirements

Number of eco+ LED barsor rows

Number ofPRO² LED barsor rows

Number of aquaLUMix lamps

None or light

1

1

1

Medium

2

1-2

1

High

3-4

2

1

Extreme

4+

2+

1-2

The values relate to average tank heights and widths of about 60cm. The arrangement of the bars, central, offset, split, or placed next to one another is completely up to you. As is the choice of light colours!Please note that every aquarium, including yours, is an individual one-off object and therefore the question of lighting cannot be decided remotely.

Eco+/ PRO² GROWx5 for providing optimum light to plants

The GROWx5 LED bar is a unique combination of 5 different wavelengths and promotes optimum and healthy plant growth. This is due in principle to creating light with balanced proportions of blue and red and extending this with three further specially selected colour bands: green, orange and ultra-red.

GROWx5is intended to be used as an optional light in combination with other "white" light colours, because this light colour alone has a definite lilac/violet appearance. Thus GROWx5 is comparable with the well-known and loved GROLUX fluorescent tube lighting.

GROWx5 working principle

Photosynthesis is the process that plants use to create energy from sunlight and ultimately to grow. In studies of the light absorbed by the plants, the absorption spectrum shows that blue and red wavelengths are mainly responsible for photosynthesis. However, a broad light spectrum is very much more effective than narrow bands of the spectrum with only blue and red light. This is the reason why GROWx5 provides a more advanced solution.

The colour spectrum in detail:

Red and ultra-red - red and ultra-red light must be available to the plants for optimum photosynthesis to take place. A high red and comparatively low proportion of blue ensures excellent plant growth. Exclusively red light would lead to the plants becoming excessively "leggy".

Blue light is ideal for the plant growing phase and ensures plants show lush green but compact growth. Exclusively blue light, on the other hand, leads to stunted plants. The higher the proportion of blue-violet and blue light, the larger the leaves. Green – it is widely assumed that little or no green or orange light is absorbed by plants. The green light would be reflected from the leaves and they would lose their green colour. However, new studies show the majority of wavelengths in the green part of the spectrum are absorbed by plants through carotenoids and other pigments and therefore clearly contribute to photosynthesis.

This is not a defect. This is because LEDs emit the light colour ultra-red (see above), which has a wavelength of around 730nm. To human eyes, this wavelength is for the most part in the invisible part of the spectrum.

What are the advantages of GROWx5 and how can they be combined?

EXAMPLE
The following example shows a comparison of lighting configurations with and without GROWx5, which makes the basic advantages easier to see:

Logic tells us that there are unlimited possibilities for combining our light colours. Of course, GROWx5 bars may also be combined with 1 or even 3 additional light colours. The advantages and disadvantages mentioned above must then be weighed up. And last but not least, the number of LED bars always depends on the type of lighting you want....!

Which light colours should I use for a planted aquarium?

In addition to GROWx5, which has been developed especially for excellent plant growth (see above), the high proportion of red in the SUNSET or TROPIC LED light at 3500 and 4500 Kelvin respectively is suitable for good plant growth. Taking into account that SUNSET on its own emits a very warm, slightly yellowish light and that the natural colour temperature on a clear sunny day is approximately 5000K, this would be a combination of different light colours worth recommending. With a colour combination of SUNSET, DAY, POLAR (or if preferred TROPIC, DAY, SKY), the colour spectrum is almost fully covered. See Light comparison. Our experiences with this composition and planted aquariums have been very good. These light colours are also very suitable for daylight simulation systems. Combinations of light colours such as SUNSET+SKY or TROPIC+POLAR represent a good choice for low levels of planting.
Red or reddish light generally also promotes growth and highlights red plants and fish (light colour RED or GROWx5). Finally, the choice of combination, of course, also depends on your personal taste.

You can find up-to-date product information and operating instructions on our Download page

What type of connecting plugs are available with eco+ and PRO² LED bars?

Our LED bars do not have plugs. This has the advantage for you that any cable extensions are easily installed without causing great disruption. The other aspect is that plug and socket connections are always a source of potential failures.
The necessary items for connecting to other accessories will be supplied to suit the rest of the order. Mains adapters, dimmers, distributors and controls generally come with their own connections and plugs.

What are the different ways of installing the lighting?

You have various options for installing eco+ and PRO² LED bars:

To install LED bar(s) in existing T5 or T8 waterproof tube sockets, we offer special holders.

Silicone feet. They allow you to install LED bars very simply, e.g. on the transverse or longitudinal struts or even on the cover plate.

Our lamp housing is manufactured in aluminium to a modern-looking design and has a very slender cross section. It is particularly suitable for open or glass/acrylic-covered aquariums and can be individually configured with our LED bars. The free choice of fastenings means it can be flexibly used as a side-mounted lamp, suspended lamp or as a frame-mounted lamp as well as inside the aquarium cover.

With the LED adapter profile, JUWEL and EHEIM aquariums can be upgraded very quickly to a modern LED lighting system. The existing conventional T5 or T8 batten fittings can be replaced 1 for 1 and the cover plates retained.

Should you decide not to choose any of the above fastenings, then mounting brackets (eco+) or screws (PRO²) are included with the respective products and can be used to install the LED bars directly.

The many customer photographs on our "example installations" page will show you further possibilities and suggestions for your aquarium.

The aquaLUMix is manufactured with an adjustable mounting brackets for fastening the light. Optionally, further mounting brackets are available for using the aquaLUMix as a top or drop light.
In addition, the blue, side installation brackets with boreholes are suitable for individual installation.
The aquaLUMix, with our beautifully shaped lamp housing in the colours black and silver, is also compatible as a side-mounted lamp, frame-mounted lamp or suspended lamp.
The LEDaquaristik adapter profiles for JUWEL and EHEIM aquariums can of course be likewise used for fastening the aquaLUMix light.Our T5 / T8 holders are not compatible.

The permanent presence of moisture, the build up of dirt or lime deposits can adversely affect the light quality, output and service life of the LED bars. Therefore we recommend that our CleanCovers are used within the aquarium cover.
LED bars cool passively by using the surrounding air. Therefore, there must be an adequate circulation of air. As a rule, the openings for cables and hoses in the cover are sufficient for this purpose.

In which positional order are the LED bars and light colours installed?

You have a completely free choice in this. We recommend you take a few minutes and test various alternatives. Then decide on which one looks the best to you. From our experience, a beautiful optical effect of depth is created when warm light colours (low Kelvin values) are placed towards the back with brighter whiter light colours towards the front. Moonlight, on the other hand, is better at the back. The influence of any specific positional order depends on how closely the individual LED bars or light colours are installed together.

Seawater

Are LED bars also suitable for seawater?

Light colours REEF (11000K) and CORAL (50% white, 33% blue, 17% red) together with POLAR (7500K), MARINE (13000K) and ROYAL BLUE (460nm) offer a wide assortment for the best possible illumination for seawater aquariums. You can choose your own individual light mixture based on the above to suit the demands of your aquarium population. The actual number would have to be determined by you. The number of lighting bars again depends on the demands of your aquarium population. As a rough guide, the number of LEDs should be chosen to provide at least 50% of the rated output of conventional lighting. Which means, for example, a 100W fluorescent tube lighting system could be replaced by a minimum 50W LED lighting system.

Compared to freshwater, seawater is extremely corrosive and very few materials survive being in direct and long-term contact with it. In order not to unnecessarily shorten the service life of the LED bars, they should not be used in a seawater environment without the appropriate precautions being taken. A glass cover on the aquarium is probably the best protection for the lamps.

The required output or number of LED bars is greatly dependent on the population of the aquarium! We recommend a mix of light colours selected from the range suitable for seawater aquariums (see above). The following table is provided to help you in your decision and the information it provides is intended as non-binding guidance values only:

GUIDANCE VALUES

SEAWATER

For lighting soft corals, anemones and fish, you should provide upwards of 25 lumen per litre

Hard corals have a higher light requirement of approximately 35 lumen per litre

100cm eco+ LED bar
Approx. 2000 lm

Approx. 1x per 80 litres water

Approx. 1x per 60 litres water

LED light

What effect does LED light have on algae growth?

Even algae need light to grow. Light with a high UV proportion encourages increased algae growth. This part of the spectrum is present to only a very limited extent in LED light. Therefore many aquarium owners have observed a reduction in algae growth under LED light.Vigorous algae growth on the other hand is usually caused by excessive quantities of nutrients, which arise from over-population of the aquarium, too much food or inadequate changes of water - in which case no LED light could work wonders.

Can LEDs also be used for lighting a terrarium?

Yes. Our LED lamps are so effective and bright that they can be used for terrariums. LED lighting is particularly recommended with respect to plants in terrariums because it saves electricity.
Because a terrarium can be home to all sorts of different creatures, the choice and decision to buy LEDs should take particular account of its population. Because LEDs give off almost no UVA light, it is sensible to install a further form of lighting if your terrarium or creatures require it.
In addition to low electricity consumption, other advantages include: LEDs give off only a small amount of heat therefore terrarium owners do not have to deal with an additional source of heat. Thanks to the special seal applied to our LED bars (ingress protection class IP67), they can also be used in areas of high air moisture content without problem.